Don Brose came to the Clarkston community 21 years ago looking for a place to run a business and raise a family. Today, Brose is so ingrained in the Clarkston community that he can’t imagine leaving.
Brose, who owns and operates Brose Electric Shop on Dixie Highway, is heavily involved in the community and more specifically the Junior Optimist Club.
‘We try to accomplish two things with the Junior Optimists,? Brose said. ‘Obviously we participate in community service and help people but we also attempt to build leadership qualities in our members.?
Clarkston Community Schools have six Junior Optimist Clubs, which according to Brose is the most in the country. There are clubs at Sashabaw Middle School, Clarkston High School, Clarkston Middle School, Pine Knob Elementary, Andersonville Elementary and Clarkston Elementary.
The Junior Optimists are an offshoot of the regular Optimist Club.
The groups do numerous community service activities throughout the year. The SMS Junior Optimists have gone Christmas shopping for the needy, visited retired individuals at the Colombiere Center and made a $1,000 donation to the proposed Spraypark already this school year.
‘I joined the Junior Optimists because I thought it would help develop me into a leader,? SMS student Bethany Horner said.
The Junior Optimist Clubs began 10 years ago when it was brought to Optimist member Brose’s attention that they did not have any youth clubs. Brose became the youth club chairman and helped organize the program.
Brose said he had no idea what to expect when he started the club.
‘There was a lot of enthusiasm and it just exploded. Frankly I had no idea how popular it would become,? Brose said.
While Brose oversees all the clubs, he is particularly close with the Sashabaw group and meets with their board of directors on a consistent basis.
The group has 60 members, which is close to about 10 percent of the students at SMS. The group has a board of directors consisting of 10 students.
‘We meet biweekly and discuss what we are going to do as a group,? junior optimist Kaitlyn McDonald said. ‘You get a good feeling helping people.?
Brose also gets a good feeling helping the Junior Optimists and seeing their growth throughout their time with the club.
‘It is truly amazing to see where these kids start from and where they finish. They definitely finish with a lot more confidence. You have to push them a little bit but the first time you meet them they hardly talk, and then as they develop, their public speaking skills are amazing,? Brose said. ‘I mean we had one young lady who went on to Harvard and another one of our members worked for Spencer Abraham. It is incredible to see the progress.?
Brose and his wife Robin moved to Clarkston in 1983 to continue the Brose family business. Brose Electric was started by Don’s father in 1927. The first store was located in Detroit but according to Brose as the city got rougher, dad decided to move it.
When Brose and his wife were looking for a place to run the family business, they fell in love with Clarkston.
‘Clarkston is such a wonderful place to live,? Brose said. ‘It is so unique in that it has so much community spirit.?
Brose got involved in the Optimist Club after local dentist Dr. Bruce Mercado took him to a meeting and introduced Brose to the group.
‘You could not help but get involved after you saw all the people there working so hard to make the community a better place,? Brose said. ‘It is really uplifting to go to one of the Wednesday meetings. It really gives you a boost for the rest of the week and when you work in the retail business you sometimes need things like that to keep you rolling.?
Brose also spent time as President of the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce, although that was not an entirely smooth experience.
‘The same year I was President was when the Chamber offices burnt down. I guess I was not a real efficient president,? Brose said.
Brose also ran the Concert in the Parks series for six years.
Brose Electric continues to do good business. They have established a good niche in the market and are well known for their huge amount of variety,
‘We are pretty unique. We have items that you can’t find at stores like Home Depot. Business is going well,? Brose said.
Don and Robin have two children. Son Rob is 21-years-old and lives in Colorado, while daughter LeeAnne is a 17-year-old at Clarkston High School.